


bristlestar 2020

by space_pilot3000



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:27:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24757783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_pilot3000/pseuds/space_pilot3000
Summary: an extremely self-indulgent take on bristlefrost's possible nine lives, based on my predictions/hopes for the final three books of TBC
Comments: 10
Kudos: 28





	bristlestar 2020

Bristlefrost stared down at the Moonpool, her paws tingling with nervousness. She had been here only once before, when every Clan was trying to thaw the pool - but with StarClan in reach again, it was time for her to receive her nine lives.

“Are we sure it’s me?” she squeaked to Alderheart, who stood at her side patiently. “I-I don’t know if I can do this. Isn’t there some senior warrior who can do this? Like maybe Sparkpelt, or-”

“Bristlefrost,” Alderheart interrupted. He laid his tail on her shoulder. “You’re going to be amazing.”

Bristlefrost took a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. I’m ready.”

“You are?”

“Yes.”

Alderheart led her down the pool, which was sparkling with the souls of their warrior ancestors. Shakily, Bristlefrost took a deep breath, and laid down, touching her nose to the pool and closing her eyes.

The water was cold like ice. At first Bristlefrost wasn’t sure whether or not she was dreaming, especially when she opened her eyes and was still at the Moonpool - but Alderheart wasn’t there. She stepped back from the water, eyes wide. Above her, the stars were twinkling more and more. Then, all at once, they swirled down around her, filling in the spaces around the pool. Bristlefrost’s eyes widened as she recognized cats like Dappletuft, Conefoot, and even Berrynose - but none of the cats she wanted so desperately to see.

All at once, the cats of StarClan spoke. “Welcome, Bristlefrost,” they said. “Are you ready to receive your nine lives?”

Willing her voice not to shake, Bristlefrost said, “I am.”

“Step forward onto the Moonpool,” the voice of StarClan commanded.

Hesitantly, Bristlefrost put her paw on the surface of the water, then gasped. Though it felt just like regular water, it was also solid - even as it rippled below her pad. She walked out on the surface, marveling at the way the sacred pool looked and felt as she stood on it.

Approaching her from the other side of the pool was a cat who looked terribly familiar. For a moment, on instinct, Bristlefrost’s blood ran cold as she recognized Bramblestar.

But the dread was quickly replaced by admiration as she realized that this was the real Bramblestar, not the imposter. In StarClan, he had been returned to his former glory. No longer was his spirit ragged and fading, no longer was his fur graying with age. He held himself with the nobility and energy of youth, and Bristlefrost realized this must have been how he looked a very, very long time ago. This was the true Bramblestar - the cat who had given her her warrior name. She dipped her head, honored, and Bramblestar touched her forehead with his nose.

His touch burned her all at once like cold fire and smoldering ice, and he smelled of wild life and the forest, a scent that belonged to every Clan and no Clan at once. 

“With this life I give you clear judgment of character,” Bramblestar murmured. “Use it well, as you always have.”

Immediately a bolt of terrible pain ran through Bristlefrost’s entire body, and for a moment, she felt as though she were going to die. Then the pain ebbed, and she nearly collapsed, but something kept her from doing so. Gasping for breath, she looked up into Bramblestar’s eyes. But he only nodded to her, and turned away.

Another cat quickly took his place, this shape more familiar and comforting. “Rosepetal!” Bristlefrost cried. “I thought I would never see you again!”

Rosepetal said nothing in return, but her eyes were shining with pride. She touched her nose to Bristlefrost’s head as Bramblestar had. “With this life I give you mentoring,” she purred. “Use it well to train the young cats of ThunderClan.”

Agony spasmed through Bristlefrost’s body, but before Rosepetal had turned away, she managed to croak, “Wait! What am I supposed to do now, Rosepetal? I don’t know how to be a leader.”

“You’ll figure it out. You’re a good learner,” Rosepetal whispered, a hint of humor in her tone. As Bristlefrost recovered from the pain, her mentor turned and walked away.

She was replaced by an unfamiliar shape - a tall black molly with luminous green eyes. “Greetings,” she said. “My name is Hollyleaf. I was your father's aunt.”

Bristlefrost nodded. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

Hollyleaf stepped up and pressed her nose to Bristlefrost’s head. “With this life I give you justice. Use it well to guide your judgment in times of need.” All at once, an intense suffering coursed through Bristlefrost’s body, but this time it had a spark of hope - a guiding light that Bristlefrost held fast to as the pain ebbed.

By then, another cat was replacing Hollyleaf, a ginger tom with a regal bearing. It took Bristlefrost only a second to realize she knew him from the nursery stories she’d heard all her life. “Firestar!” she breathed.

Firestar eyed her with humor. “Indeed. I am your kin as well, Bristlefrost, very distantly.” He stepped forward. “With this life I give you compassion. Use it well to care for those who need your protection.”

Burning passion tore through Bristlefrost’s body, as she felt she was taking on the pain of every cat who had ever been born - but somehow she still had the strength to bear it, her legs still didn’t collapse. She heaved as though she had just finished running the length of the forest as another shape replaced Firestar, this one far more familiar.

Graystripe came bounding up to her, his bright youth returned to him. He looked far happier and more energized than Bristlefrost had ever seen him, and her heart welled with joy. 

“I’m so glad to see you,” she said, her heart lifting as he approached.

Graystripe’s eyes twinkled with his old humorous wisdom, and Bristlefrost was glad to know he hadn’t really changed. “With this life,” he said, “I give you loyalty. Use it well in service of your Clan - and in service of those you love.” 

Unlike the others, this life felt like a rush of energy that would last forever, a well of strength from which she could always draw. But as elated as she suddenly was, all Bristlefrost could think of was Graystripe’s words. She held his yellow gaze and breathed, “R-Rootspring?”

Graystripe didn't nod, or even smile. But he whispered, “I loved a cat from another Clan once, too.”

As he turned away to rejoin StarClan’s ranks, another cat replaced him - and this one broke Bristlefrost’s heart.

It was Flipclaw. Not so long ago, he had bitterly feuded with Bristlefrost, believing her to be an ally of Bramblestar’s imposter. But when the imposter had escaped his bonds and attempted to go after her and kill her for betraying him, Flipclaw took the fatal blow. Now, his eyes shone with love and acceptance.

“With this life, I give you forgiveness,” Flipclaw said. “I forgive you, Bristlefrost. I only hope that you can forgive me.”

Bristlefrost had expected another easy life, but the intensity of this one felt as though it was burning her insides through with the pain of bad deeds and terrible mistakes. But the pain ebbed more quickly, salved by the true power of forgiveness, and she panted.

“I do,” she murmured. “I could never hold a grudge against my brother.” Flipclaw nuzzled her gently, and turned away.

Flipclaw was replaced by a spotted gray pelt, and Bristlefrost almost leapt in joy. It was Spotfur! No cat had known she had snuck out of the nursery, still pregnant when she went to SkyClan on her own to help defend it from the imposter’s supporters, after Squirrelflight ordered ThunderClan not to get involved. It had been a full sunrise later that three ragged SkyClan cats arrived at camp carrying her body.

“With this life, I give you the gift of friendship,” Spotfur said. “Use it well to make allies of enemies, friends of allies, and and family of friends.”

This life was fierce and protective, and Bristlefrost felt as though she were taking a thousand attackers’ claws in protection of some cat she loved - the same, she realized, that Spotfur had felt as she died. She stared up at her friend in awe.

Spotfur stepped back, but she did not disappear into StarClan’s ranks. Instead, she waited to greet Stemleaf as he walked forward across the Moonpool.

“It’s good to see you again, Bristlefrost,” he said quietly. “With this life, I give you courage. Use it well in defense of that which you know to be right.”

Agony again wracked Bristlefrost’s body, her every muscle tiring as though she was running from the camp to the Moonpool and back. Shaking, she stared after Stemleaf and Spotfur as they walked away, tails twined.

“Thank you so much,” she croaked after them. “For everything.”

But as drained and exhausted as Bristlefrost felt after receiving eight lives, the sight of the final cat restored her better than anything in the world could. Squirrelflight was approaching her, tail held high, her green eyes sparkling with love and kindness once more.

In the ginger molly’s final moons, she had been wracked by paranoia, fear and distrust of the other Clans and even StarClan itself. But now, Bristlefrost could see that her leader’s spirit had returned to her, and she was just as she had been before, proud and fearless once more. Bristlefrost’s eyes pricked with tears as Squirrelflight approached her and touched her nose to her head.

“With this life, I give you stubbornness, resilience, and strength,” Squirrelflight purred, her eyes shining. “Not every cat may like it, but these qualities will guide you better than any others. Use them well to guide your Clan as long as they are under your care.”

The life shot through Bristlefrost like a burst of energy, but not an endless one or even an opportunity to truly outrun any danger. At first she felt as though she could run further than any other cat, but as time went on, she felt as though she was plagued by danger after danger, and a realization hit her - she was feeling as Squirrelflight had felt throughout her life. The tireless energy of her youth in the old forest, the endless opportunity of the Great Journey, only to be confronted and stalked for seasons by her father’s killer, while trying to keep her children safe and their identities secret. The utter pain and sorrow of the loss of her true love, and the joy of finding him again and having a second opportunity to raise a family with him, now with no lies. Then finally, after thinking she would die safe and happy, a warrior’s death, she was hit with the loss of her sister and her mate in a few moons’ time and the return of the cat who had put her in so much danger for so long.

Bristlefrost had been so angry at Squirrelflight for mentally disappearing in ThunderClan’s time of need, for so very long. But now that frustration melted away, and she understood everything. The last moons of Squirrelflight’s life had been dominated by fear of Ashfur, and everything that he could do to her. No cat could have withstood it.

Shakily, Bristlefrost stood as tall and straight as she could, and rested her head on Squirrelflight’s shoulder. It was the traditional gesture from a new warrior to their leader, but it was also an act of love. A gesture that she hoped would convey everything she could never, would never say. In return, Squirrelflight licked the top of her head gently.

When Bristlefrost stepped away, she felt as though her whole world had just ended and started over again.

“I hail you by your new name, Bristlestar,” Squirrelflight announced, her voice rich with pride. “Your old life is no more. You now have the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan has granted you the guardianship of ThunderClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with honor and dignity.”

Bristlestar stared into her reflection in the Moonpool, the stars glittering around her like a halo. Was she really a new cat? Was she ready to be a leader? For a moment, she doubted herself. 

But then StarClan began to call her new name in approval, and she looked up and found the cats she loved the most. Rosepetal was sitting in the very front, not far behind Squirrelflight. Stemleaf and Spotfur were standing so close their pelts brushed, calling her name in unison. Flipclaw was yowling the loudest of any cat. And before her, Squirrelflight’s eyes brimmed with tears as she repeated Bristlestar’s new name. 

And in their eyes, Bristlestar found her answer.

**Author's Note:**

> bristlefrost is surprisingly easy to write. this fic touches on almost everything i want from the last 3 books of TBC, so erins please don't let me down.


End file.
